Prayer Life

“Prayer should occupy a very large place in the life of the monk.” (Bd. Columba Marmion) From the earliest days of monasticism in the Egyptian desert, monks have strived to pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17). The prayers are not only the formal prayer of the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours), but also involve much private prayer. Prayer should be at the core of a monk’s life; so whether he is in the abbey church, in the Christmas tree fields, the classroom, or relaxing, his thoughts are not far from God.

The monks of Marmion take to heart this tradition and seek to continue it in our communal life, as well as in our personal lives. In addition to the community coming together four times a day in communal prayer, time is also set aside for meditation and the ancient monastic practice of lectio divina. Our heritage has also brought the community to a great love of our Blessed Mother, whom we venerate under the title of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, and to a daily call to foster Marian devotion. Each individual monk engages in a variety of types of personal prayer, whose purpose and goal is the same - to lead the monk closer to God and to “bring us all together to everlasting life” (Rule of St. Benedict, c. 72).

One of the more important times of prayer that the community sets aside for itself is the Eucharist. Since our founding in 1933, the daily celebration of the Mass has been at the center of all we do and who we are for the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium 11). Placing our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ for the future of our monastic community, we receive his Benediction at the end of Vespers on Sunday and have a holy hour for vocations the first Sunday of each month in which we pray for the men God will entrust to us.

We invite you, as you continue to discern your vocation, to join us in prayer at any time. Our Holy Father Benedict calls us to “begin every good work with prayer so that He may bring it to completion” (Prologue, Rule of St. Benedict).